MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4 GB

W1zzard · Dec 16, 2014

MSI's GTX 970 Gaming is probably the best GTX 970 on the market. It comes overclocked out of the box, with an amazing noise-less cooler for light gaming, one that is also extremely quiet with even the most demanding titles. Temperatures are great, too, so you should definitely consider this card if you are in the market for a GTX 970.

Show full review

Fluffmeister · Dec 17, 2014

Thanks for the review, I personally couldn't be happier with my card, hell it cost less than the GTX 670 I upgraded from, steal!

El_Mayo · Dec 17, 2014

I have this card and I only read the review to feel even better about buying it. It is a very good card

FreedomEclipse · Dec 17, 2014

I thought this card was reviewed a good few months ago????

Anyway.... There is a typo in the conclusion @W1zzard

MSI's new TwinFrozr cooler is identical to the once used on their GTX 980 Gaming.

XL-R8R · Dec 17, 2014

I'm happy I got this card lol

Thanks for the review. :toast:

CounterZeus · Dec 17, 2014

I got this card the first week, had twice an issue with fan(s) stuck at 100%, but with a custom fan curve in afterburner I fixed it and luckily haven't got this issue again.
Some people fixed it with a modded bios, newer drivers, burning in the fans for a while... Other people had less luck and had to RMA it.

This is problably the most bugged 970 card out there, but if the fans work, it's a beast

Delta6326 · Dec 17, 2014

Nice review W1zz!

MSI's Gaming platform really is a good bunch of products. MSI really has brought up their "A" game.

RCoon · Dec 17, 2014

FreedomEclipse said:
I thought this card was reviewed a good few months ago????

Only the 980 version was reviewed, the Asus Strix was the prime time toy for the 970 range.

Could have got a 10 if they just added a backplate like everybody else...

W1zzard · Dec 17, 2014

RCoon said:
Could have got a 10 if they just added a backplate like everybody else...

yup

Fluffmeister · Dec 17, 2014

9.9 will just have to do! :laugh:

erixx · Dec 17, 2014

Can this be SLI'ed with a GTX 980?
thx

:^)

W1zzard · Dec 18, 2014

erixx said:
Can this be SLI'ed with a GTX 980?

No. NVIDIA only allows SLI with same model numbers, but from different mfgrs is ok

claylomax · Dec 18, 2014

You added some new games ... Nice.

damric · Dec 18, 2014

Glad to see 16x9 aspect ratios are now standard.

Nabarun · Dec 18, 2014

@W1zzard Typo in the intro page:

MSI's GTX 980 Gaming is a fully customized variant of the GTX 980....

THU31 · Dec 18, 2014

Why do reviews never mention coil whine?

I had to sell my MSI 970, because it was really annoying. It was there even at 60 Hz with Vsync.

Most, if not all 970s/980s have coil whine. I am waiting to see how it is when the 960 comes out.

Calebe Costa · Dec 18, 2014

So World of Warcraft have an enormous influence on processor. Is there any build optimized for WoW?

My actual pc set

i7 860 @2.80Ghz
MB: Asrock H55M-LE
Memory: 2x2GB Kingston 1333Mhz
GPU: MSI R5770 Hawk 1GB dedicated 128bits
HDD: Seagate 500GB
PSU: Thermaltake 550
Case: Thermaltake M7
Default CPU Cooling
Win 8.1 Pro - Original

My plans are for buying the 2x4GB CL9 Memory @ end of December and a H55 for OC. After that a 840 EVO. And later and last a GPU.

I believe that with the H55 i can oc to 3.6 or even 4.2Ghz (The maximum allowed for my moBo)

I really want to buy the gtx 970, but i think i'll have to go with 750Ti. I don't go for AMD for wattage reasons.

revin · Dec 18, 2014

Damnit I knew this was a steal at $329 the other morning ! So often OOS !!
I keep looking at these and the 290X's, now hitting under $300 !
Now the 970's are getting some price breaks TD had some great deals yesterday

jesso2k · Dec 18, 2014

Hey W1zzard, can we get a roundup feature after you've gone through the Gigabyte G1? I'd love a single source to put all of the misconceptions to bed.

Air · Dec 18, 2014

The "0 dB" in the fan noise graph is bit misleading. You should list the background noise, unless you are deducting the background noise value from the other cards measurements.

apoe · Dec 18, 2014

Harry Lloyd said:
Why do reviews never mention coil whine?

I had to sell my MSI 970, because it was really annoying. It was there even at 60 Hz with Vsync.

Most, if not all 970s/980s have coil whine. I am waiting to see how it is when the 960 comes out.

My Asus 970 has no coil whine even at 2000+ FPS (in some game menus with uncapped frame rate). This is with my ear next to the case and with good hearing. I think reduction in coil whine was even mentioned in the marketing for the card.

My previous MSI 760 had coil whine once game fps went above 140 or so. But it almost completely disappeared after the first month of use.

Probably just luck of the draw. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if manufacturers specifically tested review samples for coil whine and only sent out the ones that passed.

Fluffmeister · Dec 19, 2014

My MSI 970 has zero coil whine too, TechReport reviewed both this card and the ASUS STRIX and reported no issues as well:

TechReport said:
One more thing: I've heard reports of problems with "coil whine" from some GeForce GTX 970 cards. I'm happy to say that neither of these two cards has any problems on this front. I didn't notice anything unusual, and any really egregious noises would show up on our sound level meter readings. Obviously, that didn't happen, since these cards were among the quietest we've tested.

Source: http://techreport.com/review/27203/geforce-gtx-970-cards-from-msi-and-asus-reviewed/5

msamelis · Dec 19, 2014

Harry Lloyd said:
Why do reviews never mention coil whine?

I had to sell my MSI 970, because it was really annoying. It was there even at 60 Hz with Vsync.

Most, if not all 970s/980s have coil whine. I am waiting to see how it is when the 960 comes out.

I have the Gigabyte G1 and haven't experienced any problems, although a friend of mine bought the Strix which did whine.

claylomax · Dec 19, 2014

Harry Lloyd said:
Why do reviews never mention coil whine?

I had to sell my MSI 970, because it was really annoying. It was there even at 60 Hz with Vsync.

Most, if not all 970s/980s have coil whine. I am waiting to see how it is when the 960 comes out.

Coil whine also depends on the psu you're using; some psu's have capacitors on the PCI-E cables that help reducing the whine.

W1zzard · Dec 19, 2014

claylomax said:
some psu's have capacitors on the PCI-E cables that help reducing the whine.

do you have any data on that? just switching psu can mitigate coil whine, so it's not a valid test to compare 1 psu with caps vs 1 without.

Processor	Ryzen 7 5700X
Memory	48 GB
Video Card(s)	RTX 4080
Storage	2x HDD RAID 1, 3x M.2 NVMe
Display(s)	30" 2560x1600 + 19" 1280x1024
Software	Windows 10 64-bit

Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Motherboard	MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK
Cooling	AMD Wraith Prism
Memory	Team Group Dark Pro 8Pack Edition 3600Mhz CL16
Video Card(s)	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 FE
Storage	Kingston A2000 1TB + Seagate HDD workhorse
Display(s)	Samsung 50" QN94A Neo QLED
Case	Antec 1200
Power Supply	Seasonic Focus GX-850
Mouse	Razer Deathadder Chroma
Keyboard	Logitech UltraX
Software	Windows 11

System Name	N/A
Processor	i7-4790K
Motherboard	Asus Z97-A
Cooling	Thermalright True Power 140
Memory	2 x 8GB GeIL Potenza 2400Mhz
Video Card(s)	MSI GTX 970 Gaming
Storage	2TB Seagate Barracuda
Display(s)	24" Samsung 1080p LED Monitor
Case	Phanteks Enthoo Pro
Power Supply	Corsair TX650W
Mouse	Logitech MX518
Keyboard	Corsair K70 (Brown MX)
Software	Windows 8.1

System Name	DarnGosh Edition
Processor	AMD 7800X3D
Motherboard	MSI X670E GAMING PLUS
Cooling	Thermalright AM5 Contact Frame + Phantom Spirit 120SE
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z5 NEO DDR5 6000 CL32-38-38-96
Video Card(s)	Asus Dual Radeon™ RX 6700 XT OC Edition
Storage	WD SN770 1TB (Boot)\| 2x 2TB WD SN770 (Gaming)\| 2x 2TB Crucial BX500\| 2x 3TB Toshiba DT01ACA300
Display(s)	LG GP850-B
Case	Corsair 760T (White) {1xCorsair ML120 Pro\|5xML140 Pro}
Audio Device(s)	Yamaha RX-V573\|Speakers: JBL Control One\|Auna 300-CN\|Wharfedale Diamond SW150
Power Supply	Seasonic Focus GX-850 80+ GOLD
Mouse	Logitech G502 X
Keyboard	Duckyshine Dead LED(s) III
Software	Windows 11 Home
Benchmark Scores	ლ(ಠ益ಠ)ლ

System Name	"IBT 10x Maximum Stable"
Processor	Intel i5 4690K @ 4.6GHz -> 100xx46 - 1.296v
Motherboard	MSI MPower Z97
Cooling	Corsair H100i + 2x Corsair "HP Edition" SP120's
Memory	4x4GB Corsair Vengence Pro 2400mhz @ 2400MHz 10-11-12-31-1T - 1.66v
Video Card(s)	MSI Gaming GTX970 4GB @ 1314 Core/1973 Mem/1515 Boost
Storage	Kingston 3K 120GB SSD + Western Digital 'Green' 2TB + Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
Display(s)	Iiyama Prolite X2377HDS 23" IPS
Case	Corsair Carbide 300R
Audio Device(s)	Rotel RA-04/Cambridge Audio Azur 540R + B&W DM302/Cerwin Vega AT12 / Sony MDR-XB700 & FiiO E5
Power Supply	EVGA NEX650G + Silverstone Extensions
Mouse	Always failing me....
Keyboard	Endlessly broken.....
Software	Windoze 7 Pro 64-bit/Windoze 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores	I had some of these once upon a time? Old age has seen me misplace them....

MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4 GB

W1zzard

Administrator

Fluffmeister

El_Mayo

FreedomEclipse

~Technological Technocrat~

XL-R8R

CounterZeus

Delta6326

RCoon

W1zzard

Administrator

Fluffmeister

erixx

W1zzard

Administrator

claylomax

damric

Nabarun

THU31

Calebe Costa

revin

jesso2k

Air

apoe

New Member

Fluffmeister

msamelis

claylomax

W1zzard

Administrator

System Name	Illidan
Processor	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Motherboard	Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro V2
Cooling	Scythe Mugen 4
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z 32GB DDR4 3000MHz 14CL
Video Card(s)	AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT
Storage	Crucial P1 1TB + Sandisk Ultra II 960GB + Samsung EVO Plus 970 2TB + F3 1TB + Toshiba X300 4TB
Display(s)	Iiyama G-MASTER G4380UHSU-B1
Case	Corsair 750D Airflow
Audio Device(s)	Sony WH1000-XM4
Power Supply	Seasonic Focus PX-850
Mouse	Logitech G604
Keyboard	Corsair Vengeance K70 (Cherry MX Red)
Software	Windows 11 Pro

System Name	THE CUBE 2.0
Processor	Intel i5 13600k
Motherboard	MSI MPG Z690 EDGE DDR4
Cooling	Phanteks PH-TC14PE BK 2x T30-120 Fan mod mount
Memory	G.Skill TridentZ 3200 MT/s C15 32GB 2x16GB
Video Card(s)	Gigabyte Aorus 1080 Ti 11GB OC: Core 2GHz, Mem 5.7GHz
Storage	WD SN770 250GB / 3x WD SN850X 2TB / Toshiba X300 4TB / 2x RAID1 Toshiba P300 3TB
Display(s)	Samsung 49" Odyssey OLED G95SC 240Hz 5120 x 1440
Case	"THE CUBE" Custom built, pure Red Alder wood
Audio Device(s)	Beyerdynamic DT 880
Power Supply	Corsair RM1000X
Mouse	Logitech G700
Keyboard	Logitech G910
Software	Windows 11 Pro

System Name	HP Omen 17
Processor	i7 7700HQ
Memory	16GB 2400Mhz DDR4
Video Card(s)	GTX 1060
Storage	Samsung SM961 256GB + HGST 1TB
Display(s)	1080p IPS G-SYNC 75Hz
Audio Device(s)	Bang & Olufsen
Power Supply	230W
Mouse	Roccat Kone XTD+
Software	Win 10 Pro

System Name	Jaspe
Processor	Ryzen 1500X
Motherboard	Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming
Cooling	Stock
Memory	16Gb Corsair 3000mhz
Video Card(s)	EVGA GTS 450
Storage	Crucial M500
Display(s)	Philips 1080 24'
Case	NZXT
Audio Device(s)	Onboard
Power Supply	Enermax 425W
Software	Windows 10 Pro

System Name	Main
Processor	Ryzen 5950x
Motherboard	B550 PG Velocita
Cooling	Water
Memory	Ballistix
Video Card(s)	RX 6900XT
Storage	T-FORCE CARDEA A440 PRO
Display(s)	MAG401QR
Case	QUBE 500
Audio Device(s)	Logitech Z623
Power Supply	LEADEX V 1KW
Mouse	Cooler Master MM710
Keyboard	Huntsman Elite
Software	11 Pro
Benchmark Scores	https://hwbot.org/user/damric/

System Name	barely hangin on...
Processor	Intel I5 4670K @stock
Motherboard	Asus H81m-cs (nothing else available now)
Cooling	CM Hyper 212X (in push-pull)
Memory	16GB Corsair Vengeance Dual Channel 1866MHz
Video Card(s)	Asus RX 580 4GB Dual
Storage	WD Blue 1TB, WD Black 2TB, Samsung 850 Evo 250GB
Display(s)	Acer KG241QP 144Hz
Case	Cooler Master CM 690 III (Transparent side panel) - illuminated with NZXT HUE RGB
Audio Device(s)	FiiO E10K>Boom 3D>ATH M50/Samson SR850/HD599SE
Power Supply	Corsair RM 850
Mouse	Redragon M901 PERDITION 16400 DPI Laser Gaming Mouse
Keyboard	HyperX Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (Cherry MX Brown)
Software	7-64bit MBR, 10-64bit UEFI (Not Multi-boot), VBox guests...

System Name	THU
Processor	Intel Core i5-13600KF
Motherboard	ASUS PRIME Z790-P D4
Cooling	SilentiumPC Fortis 3 v2 + Arctic Cooling MX-2
Memory	Crucial Ballistix 2x16 GB DDR4-3600 CL16 (dual rank)
Video Card(s)	MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ventus 3X OC 12 GB GDDR6X (2610/21000 @ 0.91 V)
Storage	Lexar NM790 2 TB + Corsair MP510 960 GB + PNY XLR8 CS3030 500 GB + Toshiba E300 3 TB
Display(s)	LG OLED C8 55" + ASUS VP229Q
Case	Fractal Design Define R6
Audio Device(s)	Yamaha RX-V381 + Monitor Audio Bronze 6 + Bronze FX \| FiiO E10K-TC + Sony MDR-7506
Power Supply	Corsair RM650
Mouse	Logitech M705 Marathon
Keyboard	Corsair K55 RGB PRO
Software	Windows 10 Home
Benchmark Scores	Benchmarks in 2024?

Processor	i3 4160 @ 3.60Ghz
Motherboard	ASUS B85M-E/BR
Memory	2X4GB Crucial Ballistix Sport 1600Mhz
Video Card(s)	GALAX 1060 3G
Storage	Samsung 840 Evo 120gb / Seagate 500GB
Case	Thermaltake M9
Mouse	Multilaser MO206
Software	Win 10 Pro

System Name	Firebird
Processor	Intel i7 2600K @5.0'ish 24/7 stock core Voltage {5.2 w/102 bCLK}
Motherboard	Intel Extreme DZ68BC SkullTrail Z68 Cougerpoint, Excellent MCH !
Cooling	Scythe NINJA PLUS Rev.B[skt478] Modded to 1155 Scythe SH12 fan
Memory	Samsung 32nm 16Gb 4x4 (@19xxmhz} low profile[ better than 2133 banwidth]
Video Card(s)	Gigabyte Aurosus 1080Ti
Storage	Intel 512 SSD,Samsung 9701Tb, Toshiba 3Tbx2,Hitachi 320,1TBx2,'Cuda 400 7200.10, WD1TBUSB,to SATA
Display(s)	Acer K272HUL 1440 27" WQHD, Samsung 226W, Vizio M60C3 4K 60",Vizio XVT3D554SV
Case	CoolerMaster HAF 932
Audio Device(s)	Intel 10ch[9+1] HD Audio X540> Pioneer VSX39TX[copper chasis,Rosewood sides 5x6LCD remote
Power Supply	Seasonic X750 @ 24/7
Mouse	Logictech G300s
Keyboard	Saitek Cyborg v7
Software	Windows 7 ROG E3 X64 by Neuropass/tweakscene
Benchmark Scores	4642@665/1600 220/GAT F1 4544 220/667strap 2.5/3/2/6 Bliss 650/1500 6490 Q6700 Bliss 690/1500

Processor	AMD Ryzen 5600X
Motherboard	B550i AORUS PRO AX
Cooling	Noctua NH-D9L
Memory	2 x 16Gb G.Skill Trident Z Neo 3600 MHz C16
Video Card(s)	EVGA GTX 1070 SC
Storage	Samsung 980 Pro 1 Tb
Case	Ncase M1 V3
Power Supply	Corsair SF600 Gold
Benchmark Scores	CPU-Z: 655.8 single, 4999.7 multi Cinebench R23: 1563 single, 11275 multi

Processor	i7 3770k
Motherboard	ASUS P8P67 Pro Rev 3.0
Memory	Corsair Vengeance DDR3 16GB
Video Card(s)	Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980Ti G1 Gaming
Display(s)	ROG Swift PG278Q